April 13, 2000 [Volume 1, Issue 9]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Help for Your Headaches?
• Educate Before You Vaccinate
• Blood Pressure Responds to Weight Changes
• Drinking Coffee, Preventing Gallstones

Help for Your Headaches?

We all get headaches at one time or another, but figuring out why we're suffering or how to get rid of them isn't always easy. Millions of Americans take daily or near-daily doses of pain relief medications to combat headaches, often providing only temporary relief and causing a variety of unpleasant side effects.

A number of clinical studies note the effectiveness of chiropractic manipulation in relieving headache symptoms, an observation confirmed by a recent literature review that provided evidence of a potential spinal cord connection. Specifically, the authors' search of previous research revealed that dysfunction in the upper part of the cervical spine has the potential to create cranial pain -- headaches.

Evidence points to a variety of possible causes of headache pain, including stress, muscle tension, nutritional deficiencies, and hormonal imbalances, but most headache sufferers turn to over-the-counter drugs as their only form of relief. You don't have to be one of the millions dependent on pain medications. If you suffer from headaches, schedule a comprehensive evaluation with your doctor of chiropractic. If neck and spine dysfunction is causing your pain, regular adjustments might be an effective solution.

Alix ME, Bates DK. A proposed etiology of cervicogenic headache: the neurophysiological basis and anatomic relationship between the dura mater and the rectus posterior capitis minor muscle. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Oct. 1999: Vol. 22, No. 8, pp534-39.

If you'd like more information on headaches, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/headaches.html

Educate Before You Vaccinate

A vaccine is a weakened version of a disease, injected into the body to build up the body's defenses against the disease. Many vaccines can have larger effects on the autoimmune system than on the diseases they are designed to prevent. Evidence suggests that in some cases, vaccinations for diseases such as polio, diabetes and influenza may actually do more harm than good.

Live oral polio vaccines have been shown to induce polio at a rate of 0.2 cases per 100,000. Some countries (including the U.S.) now give a polio vaccine with an inactivated strain of the poliovirus instead of the live vaccine. In the case of the influenza vaccine, doses often serve to immunize rather than treat; the result is that three or four doses of influenza vaccine are routinely introduced into the bodies of children who will never be infected in the first place. (Vaccination may only prevent 30-36 cases per 100,000.) The effects of vaccines on insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) may exceed the effect of a vaccine; even a small rise in IDDM following immunization can result in a much larger number of children developing diabetes.

While vaccines carry great potential, there are risks which should also be considered. Doctors and patients must understand all of the potential effects of vaccines, so that informed decisions can be made regarding their appropriate use in the prevention of disease.

For more information, ask your doctor of chiropractic and visit the "Risks of Immunization" website at http://www.vaccines.net

Blood Pressure Responds to Weight Changes

Do you realize you might be suffering from high blood pressure(hypertension) and not even know it? High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms until complications develop, such as a heart attack or a stroke -- that's why it's referred to as the "silent killer."

Exercise and dietary adjustments can usually keep this dangerous condition under control, and evidence suggests that weight loss and gain may also play a role. A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine tracked 82,473 U.S. female nurses from 1976-1992, calculating weight loss or gain every two years and noting all cases of physician-diagnosed high blood pressure.

Results showed that weight gain dramatically increased the risk for high blood pressure, whereas long-term weight loss reduced the risk. These associations were stronger in younger women (less than 45 years of age) than older women (more than 55 years of age).

So what's the moral to this story? First, make sure you get your blood pressure checked regularly. The earlier you discover the problem, the faster you can start doing something about it. Second, avoid excess weight gain by maintaining an active lifestyle and following a sensible diet. And third, consult your doctor for more information.

Huang Z, Willett WC, Manson JE. Body weight, weight change, and risk for hypertension in women. Annals of Internal Medicine, January 1998: Vol. 128, No. 12, pp81-88.

If you'd like more information on fitness and exercise, visit https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/sports.html

Drinking Coffee, Preventing Gallstones

Your gallbladder stores bile, the liquid produced by the liver to digest fats. Gallstones, hard masses of cholesterol and protein, are the most common digestive-related cause of hospitalization in the United States, with symptomatic gallstone disease affecting more than 20 million Americans annually.

A 10-year study (1986-1996) examined the possibility that coffee could reduce the risk of gallstone formation. The study, published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, gathered data from more than 45,000 men and found a decreased risk of symptomatic gallstone disease associated with higher intake of regular (caffeinated) coffee. Subjects who drank no coffee or only one cup per day had a higher risk compared with those who drank four or more cups per day.

Does that mean you should run down to your local coffee shop and start chugging the 64-ounce cafe mochas? Of course not. As the authors of the study note, "clinical recommendations on coffee consumption should be based on patients' individual health risks and benefits." In other words, ask your doctor for more information.

Letzmann MF, Willett WC, Rimm EB, et al. A prospective study of coffee consumption and the risk of symptomatic gallstone disease in men. Journal of the American Medical Association, June 9, 1999: Vol. 281, No. 22, pp2106-2112.

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